The Dreamers (2003)

A young American studying in Paris in 1968 strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. Set against the background of the '68 Paris student riots.

Director:

Bernardo Bertolucci

Writers:

Gilbert Adair (screenplay), Gilbert Adair (based on his novel)

Stars:

Michael Pitt, Eva Green, Louis Garrel

9 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Michael Pitt	...	Matthew
Eva Green	...	Isabelle
Louis Garrel	...	Theo
Anna Chancellor	...	Mother
Robin Renucci	...	Father
Jean-Pierre Kalfon	...	Himself
Jean-Pierre Léaud	...	Himself (as Jean-Paul Leaud)
Florian Cadiou	...	Patrick
Pierre Hancisse	...	First Buff
Valentin Merlet	...	Second Buff
Lola Peploe	...	The Usherette
Ingy Fillion	...	Theo's Girlfriend

Storyline

Paris, spring 1968. While most students take the lead in the May 'revolution', a French poet's twin son Theo and daughter Isabelle enjoy the good life in his grand Paris home. As film buffs they meet and 'adopt' modest, conservatively educated Californian student Matthew. With their parents away for a month, they drag him into an orgy of indulgence of all senses, losing all of his and the last of their innocence. A sexual threesome shakes their rapport, yet only the outside reality will break it up.

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Plot Keywords:

french | may 1968 | friendship | riot | film buff | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for explicit sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Fox Searchlight [us]

Country:

UK France Italy

Language:

English French

Release Date:

10 October 2003 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Innocents

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$83,175 (Brazil) (10 December 2004)

Gross:

$83,175 (Brazil) (10 December 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Recorded Picture Company (RPC), Peninsula Films, Fiction Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min 112 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

First film since Orgazmo that was released theatrically in the US with a NC-17 rating. Even with its NC-17 rating, major theater circuits like Regal and AMC agreed to show this film.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, Theo and Isabel's parents come back to the house and start to whisper to each other in perfect English instead of French. However, as Theo and Isabel's mother is English, it should not be surprising that they would converse in English (Isabel herself tells it to Matthew when he tells her how good her English is when they first met).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Matthew: The first time I saw a movie at the cinématèque française I thought, "Only the French... only the French would house a cinema inside a palace."

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Crazy Credits

The word "events" is misspelled in the sentence stating "The wevents, characters and firms depicted in this photoplay are fictitious."

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Connections

Features Band of Outsiders (1964)

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Soundtracks

"Song for Our Ancestors"
(1968)
Written by Steve Miller
Published by Sailor Music, Administered in the UK by Windswept Music (London) Ltd
Performed by Steve Miller Band
Licensed Courtesy of EMI Recorded Music Ltd

User Reviews

A Bertolucci pet project

"The Dreamers" is all about three young adult upscale hippy types who languish in a flat in Paris in the late 60's and talk about cinema, politics, sex, and other stuff while sharing some first experiences. Two are brother (Garrel) and sister (Green) identical twins (or so we're told) who have an almost metaphysical bond and the third is an interloper (Pitt) who falls in lust with the sister. There's little plot to this slice of young adult life flick which seems to be more of a Bertolucci pet project than a commercial product for the masses. Less than engaging and much less than compelling, "The Dreamers" immerses itself in the esoterics of the place and time to the exclusion of anyone who wasn't there then. Beautifully filmed and masterfully crafted with some young actors doing superb work under difficult circumstances with plenty of graphic nudity and sex, "The Dreamers" will play best with aficionados of French cinema, Bertolucci fans, etc. Those who are squeamish about sex/nudity should pass. All others, be prepared for a marginally interesting watch. (B)